Safety-type teeter board



Sept. 8, 1959 5. J. ROSS SAFETY-TYPE TEETEE BOARD Filed Nov. 18, 1957 mS n at w a a m w m Qm I l l W R w 7 Q 11 n A w R. J um R 3 N mm L v Kwan vm M M A an W M s 3 m \\N mm 3 av (a A kw k 7 m United States PatentSAFETY-TYPE TEETER BOARD Samuel J. Ross, San Pablo, Calif.

Application November 18, 1957, Serial No. 697,256

9 Claims. (Cl. 272-54) This invention relates to the so-called seesaw orteeter board type of 'childs amusement device, and it particular lyrelates to a seesaw of an improved safety type.

The seesaw is an old and commonly used device which has always beensubject to the defect that if one child,

at one end of the device suddenly is removed therefrom as by falling orjunmping off, the loss of this weight will cause the weight of the childat the other end of the board to suddenly exert a violent downward forceon that end of the obard; so that the child still on the board will beflung down with such force as to often cause injury.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a seesaw or teeterboard device which will not violently react when the weight on one endthereof is removed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a seesaw or teeterboard device which is completely safe for use by either children oradults.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a seesaw or teeterboard device which is relatively simple in construction while yet beingcompletely safe.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved seesawor teeter board device, of the character described, that is easily andeconomically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which ishighly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in View, this invention consists inthe details of construction and combination of parts, as will be morefully understood from the following description, when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a teeter boarddevice embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the device of Pi 1.

l ig. 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly inelevation, of the valve and seat structure such as found at each end ofthe board in Fig. 1, the valve being shown in the closed position andthe seat in raised position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, similar to Fig. 3, but showing the valvein open position and the seat in lowered position.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts, there is shown a teeter board,generally designated 10, which comprises an elongated board 12 providedon its undersurface, at the center thereof, with a bearing member 14.The bearing member 14 has a concave recess 16 on its underside; and thisrecessed portion 16 seats on the tubular cross-bar 18 extending betweenthe tubular posts 20. The posts 20 and crossbar 18 are illustrated asstructural pipes which are connected by elbow couplings 22. The posts 20comprised the center support for the device while the cross-bar 18 formsthe fulcrum.

At each end of the board 12 is provided a pivoted seat 24 which ispivoted to the board at 26. Below each seat 24 is a valve structurecomprising a valve housing 28 in which is positioned a valve 29 having astem 30 Patented Sept. 8, 1959 and a conical head 32 at the lower end ofthe stem. The stem 30 extends upwardly through a vertical bore 34 in'the housing 28 as well as through a counterbore 36 in the housing '28.Within the counterbore 36, the stem 30 is surrounded by a coil spring38, one end of which abuts against the lower end of c'ounterb'ore 36 andthe other, or upper end, of which abuts against a washer 40 held on thestem 30 by a cotter pin 42. The spring 38 thereby acts to resilientlybias the valve stem 30 upward into a position wherein the upper end 44of the stern 30 presses against the bottom of the seat 24 and maintainsthe seat 24 in a normally upraised position, as shown in Fig. 3.

When the valve 28 is in its normally upraised position, as in Fig. 3,the valve head 32 is closed against a valve seat 46 on the bottom of avalve seat housing 48. This valve seat housing 48 is threadedlyconnected at its upper end to housing 28, as indicated at 49. An openframework 50 surrounds the housing 48, this framework 50 being connectedto the underside of the board 12 by screws or the like 51 extendingthrough flanges, shown at 52, on the open framework 50. The framework 50supports the oifs et end 54 of a conduit 56 extending along theunderside of board 12 and held thereto by clamps 58. 1 V

The offset ends 54 of each conduit 56 are provided with end flanges 60which are connected to the housing 48 around an opening 62 in thehousing 48. At their opposite ends, the conduits 56 are provided withelbow portions, such as shown at 64 for the left hand conduit 56, asviewed in Fig. 1, and at 66for the right hand conduit 56. These elbowportions 6'4 and 66 are provided vertical extensions, as at 68 and 70respectively. The vertical extension 68 is connected at its lower end,through an "elbow fitting 72, to a conduit 74 leading into the upper endof a cylinder 76. The vertical extension 70 is connected, through anoffset lower portion 78, to the lower end of cylinder 76. The extensions68 and 70, as well as the elbows 64 and 66 are preferably constructed offlexible, high-pressure hose.

The lower end of the cylinder 76 is pivotally connected by ears 80 to across-pin 82. This pin 82 extends through each post 20 and is held inplace by a head 84 at one end and a nut 86 at the other. A pair ofvertical, side cover plates 88 are connected at their upper ends to thesides of board 12 by means of screws 90.

Within the cylinder 76 is provided a piston 92 having a stem 94 theupper end of which is pivotally connected to the underside of the board12 as at 96.

In front of each seat 24 is a handle bar 98 of the type ordinarily usedin teeter boards.

In operation, the valve stem 30 will normally be in the upward positionwherein its upper end 44 lifts the seat 24 up and wherein the valve head32 is closed against seat 46. When a person sits down on each seat 24,the valves 29 on both sides are automatically opened so that the air atatmospheric pressure is present on both sides of the piston 92 in thecylinder 76 and the board is substantially in balance except for theseesaw action induced by the oppositely disposed weights of the users.However, if one of the persons should suddenly leave his seat 24, thecorresponding valve 29 would close and trap air on the correspondingside of the piston 92. This air would be at greater than atmosphericpressure and would, therefore, resist the relatively increased force ofthe weight of the person on the other side. It would, in effect, act asa dashpot to slow the sudden descent of the other side of the board.

The above description has been concerned with the use of atmospheric airas the pressure fluid in the dashpot system. However, if desired,hydraulic or pneumatic means, involving the use of pressure liquids orgases under pressure, may be substituted. However, the use ofatmospheric air is simpler, more inexpensive and equally as effectiveand is, therefore, more desirable.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting,since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of theinvention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, whatis claimed is:

1. A teeter board device comprising an elongated board pivotally mountedon a fulcrum, a movable seat at each end of said board, a normallyclosed valve operatively connected to each seat, each valve being influid communication with a separate side of a piston within a pistoncylinder, one end of said cylinder being pivoted on a pivot mounted infixed relation to said fulcrum, each seat being normally positioned in afirst position and being movable into a second position wherein it actsto open the corresponding valve, and said piston having a stem extendingthrough the other end of said cylinder and pivotally connected to saidboard at a point somewhat spaced from the fulcrum point of said board toprevent unrestrained pivoting of said board when either valve is closed,said valves being connected to a source of fluid pressure and beingindividually opened and closed to vary the pressure on each side of saidpiston.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said valves when open are connected toatmosphere which serves as the source of fluid pressure.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein each of said seats are pivotallyconnected to said board and are pivotally raised by the action of thecorresponding valve when said valve is in its normally closed position.

4. In a teeter board device having an elongated board positioned on afulcrum, a normally closed valve assembly at each end of said board,each valve assembly comprising a valve biased into a closed position andopening upon the seating of a weight on the corresponding end of theboard, each valve being in fluid communication with a dashpot meansmounted to resist pivoting of said board on its fulcrum when eitherindividual valve is closed, and to permit unresisted pivoting of saidboard only while both valves are open.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said valves open up to atmosphere.

6. A teeter board device comprising an elongated board, a fulcrumsupporting said board, an individually movable seat at each end of saidboard, each seat being normally positioned in a raised position relativeto said board, a valve assembly underlying each seat, each valveassembly comprising a valve seat housing having a valve seat at itslower end, a piston valve having a valve head adapted to seat on saidvalve seat and a valve stem, means resiliently biasing said valve stemupwardly and said valve head against said valve seat, an abutment meansat the upper end of said valve stem, said abutment means contacting thecorresponding seat and raising said seat when said valve stem is in itsupwardly biased position, and a conduit system placing each valve seathousing in fluid communication with a correspondingly opposing side of apiston in a closed piston housing, said piston housing being pivoted atone end to a pivot mounted in fixed relation to said fulcrum, and apiston stern extending from said piston through the other end of saidpiston housing and pivotally connected to said board at a point somewhatspaced from the fulcrum point of said board.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein each seat is pivotally connected tosaid board.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein each valve is biased upwardly by aspring.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein each valve seat housing is open toatmosphere when said valve head is moved away from said valve seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,544,106 Ray Mar. 6, 1951

